Weird True Crime

Melissa Casias dropped lunch off to her daughter Sierra at 12:57 p.m. on June 26, 2025. She sent her last text at 1:33 p.m. At 1:38 p.m., her phone was reset. At 2:18 p.m., surveillance footage from a home on Highway 518 captured a woman with a black backpack walking eastbound. That's 40 minutes — almost exactly the walking distance between the Casias home and that location. A coincidence? Gina and Amber don't think so.

In this episode, they pick up where Part One left off: the days and weeks following Melissa's disappearance, the organized searches, Mark Casias's recorded phone calls, the disturbing patterns emerging from inside the marriage, and the surveillance footage that raises more questions than it answers.

🚨 If You Have Information
New Mexico State Police: (505) 425-6771 
Crime Stoppers (anonymous): (505) 843-STOP | Text ABQCS to 738477
Find Melissa Mondragon Casias on Facebook
GoFundMe Reward Fund

Sources
New Mexico State Police Report — on file
FBI: No-Body Homicide Cases — A Practical Approach (Special Agent Michael Yoder)
Recorded Phone Calls provided by family
Interview Transcript with Trudy and Jazmin

Weird True Crime is an independent true crime podcast. If this episode moved you, please share it — and share Melissa's face. The more people who know her story, the better the chance that someone comes forward.

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Music by - @djantonyflower

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On Thursday, June 26, 2025, Melissa Shirley Casias — a 53-year-old mother, avid hunter, devoted reader, thyroid cancer survivor, and administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory — vanished from Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. She dropped lunch off to her daughter Sierra at 12:57 p.m. By 1:38 p.m., her phone had been wiped. By 2:18 p.m., a witness spotted someone who looked like her walking alone along Highway 518 Eastbound in Talpa. She has not been seen since.

In this episode, Gina and Amber introduce you to Melissa — who she was, what her life looked like, and why the people who love her are certain she did not choose to disappear. They then walk through the events of June 26th in chronological order, covering her last confirmed movements, the first hours of the investigation, and the early signs that something about her husband Mark Casias's behavior wasn't adding up.

🚨 If You Have Information
New Mexico State Police: (505) 425-6771 
Crime Stoppers (anonymous): (505) 843-STOP | Text ABQCS to 738477
Find Melissa Mondragon Casias on Facebook
GoFundMe Reward Fund

Sources
New Mexico State Police Report — on file
FBI: No-Body Homicide Cases — A Practical Approach (Special Agent Michael Yoder)
Recorded Phone Calls provided by family
Interview Transcript with Trudy and Jazmin

Weird True Crime is an independent true crime podcast. If this episode moved you, please share it — and share Melissa's face. The more people who know her story, the better the chance that someone comes forward.

📢 Follow & Subscribe:
Subscribe on Patreon: www.patreon.com/weirdtruecrime
Website: www.weirdtruecrime.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weirdtruecrime
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/weirdtruecrime
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@weirdtruecrime
Email: [email protected]
Music by - @djantonyflower

⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you enjoy the show
Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLC

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-true-crime--5679751/support.

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Join hosts Gina and Amber as they deep dive into this compelling case and unleash new and never before shared exclusive case updates. Working with the family, your Weird True Crime team presents this 3 part limited series on their Weird True Crime feed. 

All 3 episodes drop May 20, 2026

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, Melissa Shirley Casias — a 53-year-old mother, avid hunter, devoted reader, thyroid cancer survivor, and administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory — vanished from Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. She dropped lunch off to her daughter Sierra at 12:57 p.m. By 1:38 p.m., her phone had been wiped. By 2:18 p.m., a witness spotted someone who looked like her walking alone along Highway 518 Eastbound in Talpa. She has not been seen since.

🚨 If You Have Information
New Mexico State Police: (505) 425-6771 
Crime Stoppers (anonymous): (505) 843-STOP | Text ABQCS to 738477
Find Melissa Mondragon Casias on Facebook: [link] 
GoFundMe Reward Fund: [link]

Weird True Crime is an independent true crime podcast. If this episode moved you, please share it — and share Melissa's face. The more people who know her story, the better the chance that someone comes forward.

📢 Follow & Subscribe:
Subscribe on Patreon: www.patreon.com/weirdtruecrime
Website: www.weirdtruecrime.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weirdtruecrime
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/weirdtruecrime
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@weirdtruecrime
Email: [email protected]
Music by - @djantonyflower

⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you enjoy the show
Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLCNew Limited Series from Weird True Crime:
What Melissa Left: The Disappearance of Melissa Casias -search-for-melissa-casias

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What if the key to getting a criminal to confess was... a glowing, blinking skeleton in a dark room? Welcome back to WTF Wednesday, little skeletons! This week we're digging up one of our favorite weird-but-true stories that deserves a second listen.

We kick things off in the roaring 1920s — a decade absolutely packed with infamous crimes. From the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and the unsolved Wall Street Bombing of 1920, to serial killer Albert Fish (aka the Brooklyn Vampire, the Gray Man) and the Black Sox scandal of 1921 — the '20s were wild.

But the real star of today's episode? Helene Adelaide Shelby, a woman so fed up with retracted confessions that on August 16, 1927, she filed a patent for an "Apparatus for Obtaining Criminal Confessions and Photographically Recording Them." What was this apparatus, exactly? A small dark chamber. A hidden interrogator speaking through a megaphone. And a life-sized skeleton with glowing red blinking eyes designed to terrify suspects into confessing their deepest, darkest secrets.

Yes. A crime skeleton. She patented a crime skeleton.

Sadly, Helene's invention never made it off the drawing board — and the 1961 Supreme Court ruling on coerced confessions probably would have had something to say about it anyway. But we fully stan her energy.
We wrap up the episode with 10 hilarious real cop stories pulled from Reddit — featuring horse semen, a stiletto heel where it absolutely should not be, a self-proclaimed "earth ninja," Chuck Norris, Big Macs, and the most relatable donut panic you'll ever hear.

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Website: www.weirdtruecrime.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weirdtruecrime
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@weirdtruecrime
Email: [email protected]
Music by @djantonyflower

⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you love laughing at terrible life choices

Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLC

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Calista Springer was a 16-year-old girl from Centreville, Michigan, who loved to draw, paint, and color — and who spent most of her short life being abused, starved, and chained to a bed by the people who were supposed to protect her. For over a decade, teachers, neighbors, and social workers filed at least 15 reports with Child Protective Services. Nothing was done. On February 27, 2008, a fire broke out in the Springer home. Calista could not escape. She was chained to her bunk bed by a dog choke chain. She died of carbon monoxide poisoning. She was 91 pounds.

The Calista Springer case is one of the most heartbreaking examples of child abuse and CPS failure in Michigan history. Calista's stepmother, Marsha and father, Anthony Springer, were ultimately convicted of torture and first-degree child abuse — but only after years of documented abuse that investigators, caseworkers, and school officials failed to stop. The Springers had even pulled Calista out of public school under Michigan's permissive homeschool laws, removing her from the last adults who could have intervened. In 2010, both Marsha and Anthony were sentenced to up to 50 years in prison for torture.

In this episode of Weird True Crime, Amber and Gina walk through the full story of Calista Springer — from her early childhood and diagnosis with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, to the years of reported child abuse that CPS ignored, to the fire that killed her and the criminal trial that followed. They also examine the civil lawsuit against the CPS workers who closed Calista's case, the role Michigan's homeschool laws played in hiding her abuse, and what her case changed — and didn't change — about how the state protects vulnerable children.
If this episode moved you, please share it. The more people who know Calista's story, the harder it becomes to look away from the systems that failed her — and the children who are still waiting for someone to believe them. Follow Weird True Crime wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave us a review if you have a minute — it helps more people find the show.
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Email: [email protected]
Music by - @djantonyflower

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Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLC


Links & Sources
District Court — Langdon v. Skelding (civil lawsuit): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-miwd-1_10-cv-00985/pdf/USCOURTS-miwd-1_10-cv-00985-0.pdf
Michigan Court of Appeals — Langdon v. Skelding: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17496516472404841413
Court of Appeals — People v. Springer (sentencing appeal): https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=7083950363041240481
6th Circuit Court of Appeals — related federal ruling: https://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca6/11-2353/11-2353-2013-04-17.pdf
M Live — Calista Springer investigative series (March 2009): https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2009/03/calista_springer_in_progress.html
M Live — Records investigation: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2009/03/gazette_investigation_records.html
M Live — Initial fire report: https://www.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/02/girl_who_died_in_centreville_f.html
M Live — Fire details: https://www.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/02/details_emerge_in_fatal_fire.html
M Live — Jury deliberations: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2010/02/jury_deliberations_continue_to.html
M Live — Case goes to jury: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2010/02/springer_case_goes_to_the_jury.html
M Live — Children with Calista's disorder (trial coverage): https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2010/02/children_with_calistas_disorde.html
M Live — Courtney Springer testimony: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2010/02/calista_springers_sister_court.html
M Live — Anthony Springer's public statement (2008): https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2008/09/anthony_springers_statement_to.html
M Live — Calista's mother grieves (March 2008): https://www.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/03/calistas_mother_grieves_as_doc.html
NIH — Pervasive Developmental Disorders: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/pervasive-developmental-disorders

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What's scarier than a criminal? A criminal in costume. This week on Weird True Crime, Amber and Gina are back with another roundup of dumb criminals — and this time, every single one of them decided that committing a crime in a costume was a great idea. Spoiler: it was not.

From a Chuck E. Cheese employee arrested for fraud while wearing the mouse mascot suit in front of a birthday party full of kids, to a man who robbed a Maryland convenience store dressed as a unicorn — this episode is proof that truth is always stranger than fiction in the world of weird true crime.

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Instagram: www.instagram.com/weirdtruecrime
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@weirdtruecrime
Email: [email protected]
Music by @djantonyflower

⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you love laughing at terrible life choices

Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLC

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Weird True Crime Headlines: Letecia Stauch Retrial, David Burke Arrest, Rex Heuermann Guilty Plea, Joseph Duggar Charged, and Utah “Family Trap” Murder Trial

In this week’s true crime headlines episode, Amber and Gina cover major cases making news right now:

In Colorado, Letecia Stauch’s conviction for the 2020 murder of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch was overturned by the Colorado Court of Appeals due to a biased juror, ordering a retrial while she remains in custody pending potential Colorado Supreme Court review.

In Los Angeles, singer David Anthony Burke was arrested in connection with the death of missing 13-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose severely decomposed, dismembered remains were found in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to him.

On Long Island, Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to eight Gilgo Beach murders and received multiple consecutive life sentences without parole. In Arkansas and Florida, Joseph Duggar faces felony child molestation charges tied to a 2020 trip, plus additional child endangerment/false imprisonment charges alongside wife Kendra after locks were found on children’s bedroom doors.

And in Utah, Tracey Grist stands trial in the “Family Trap” murder case involving the shooting death of her son-in-law Matthew Restelli, with her daughter testifying for the prosecution. If you’re into true crime news, murder trials, and real crime updates, this is your episode of Weird True Crime.

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Email: [email protected]
Music by @djantonyflower

⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you love laughing at terrible life choices
A proud Fire Eyes Media LLC network podcast


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Introducing the new long form investigative podcast from the team behind Missing in Hush Town, Secrets Beyond the Sacramento River.
Subscribe now wherever you get podcasts and catch new episodes each Monday.

Apple Podcast Link
Spotify Podcast Link 


Episode 1: Send Recovery
On September 9th, 2023, at 9:45 PM, a 911 call was made.
A witness reported a white sedan sitting on River Road in the Sacramento Delta.
Moments later, that same car began to move—rolling slowly from a stop, turning down an embankment, and disappearing into the Sacramento River.
Emergency response was called.
But what happened next, doesn’t make sense.
Within hours, the call was downgraded.
Medical was cancelled.
No confirmed search took place the following day.
Two days later, a dive team finally located the vehicle.
Four days later, Jeff Anderson was pulled from the bottom of the river—just 500 feet from where the car entered the water.
His car was:
-upside down
- in park.
Keys in his pocket.
His body in the back seat.
His phone was never recovered.
And in the months after his death—someone attempted to access his accounts.

Authorities ruled it an accident.

We disagree. 

In this first chapter of Secrets Beyond the Sacramento River, we walk you through the night Jeff Anderson lost his life—using dispatch calls, witness statements, and official reports—to uncover one question:

What happened to Jeff Anderson?

Subscribe wherver you get podcasts. 

Hosts Jen Rivera & Jules Thorp 
Produced in cooperation with Jeff Anderson's family.

A proud Fire Eyes Media LLC network podcast.

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In October 2018, David Carter — a devoted father, hard worker, and beloved son from Melvindale, Michigan — was reported missing by his family. Days later, his dismembered remains were found scattered along I-75 in Ohio, 100 miles from home. Police believe his girlfriend, Tamera "Tammy" Williams, shot him while he slept, dismembered his body, and fled. She has been a fugitive ever since — and is now on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list. In this episode, Gina and Amber walk through David's life, his murder, the investigation, and the ongoing manhunt for the woman police say killed him.

🚨 DO YOU KNOW WHERE TAMMY IS? A $25,000 reward is available.
U.S. Marshals 24-Hour Tip Line: 1-877-WANTED2
USMS Tips App: Available on iOS and Android
Links & Sources
• Unsolved Mysteries Season 3 — 'Body in Bags' (Netflix)
• U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted — Tamera Williams Wanted Poster: https://www.usmarshals.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/15-most-wanted-tamera-williams.pdf
• In Pursuit with John Walsh, Season 2 Episode 11 — 'Violent Vendetta'
• Fox 2 Detroit — Family Coverage: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/1-year-after-murder-dismemberment-of-melvindale-man-the-search-continues-for-his-girlfriend
• Click on Detroit — Investigation Coverage: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/09/27/she-is-a-monster-detroit-woman-added-to-15-most-wanted-fugitives-list/
• WXYZ Detroit — Ongoing Coverage: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-woman-accused-of-murdering-boyfriend-added-to-us-marshals-15-most-wanted-list
• Unsolved Mysteries Fandom Wiki — Tammy Williams: https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tammy_Williams
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Email: [email protected]
Music by - @djantonyflower
⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you enjoy the show
Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLC


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What happens when the people sworn to uphold the law decide to... totally lose it on April Fools' Day? In this episode of Weird True Crime, hosts Amber and Gina dive into the lighter — and absolutely chaotic — side of law enforcement with a roundup of the funniest police pranks on the internet.
From official police department social media posts to wild stories shared by real officers on Reddit's r/AskLE forum, these pranks prove that even cops need to let loose sometimes.
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@weirdtruecrime
Email: [email protected]
Music by @djantonyflower
⭐ Leave a 5-star review if you love laughing at terrible life choices
Proud Member of Fire Eyes Media LLC


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-true-crime--5679751/support.

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